No login, no export
Recover Testimonials When You Lost Access
The account was in a former colleague’s name, the card on file expired, or the tool simply closed. Your testimonials are locked inside and there is no export button you can reach. Most of them still exist somewhere, though: on your live pages, in notification emails, in the customers’ own sent folders. This checklist finds them, rebuilds them and asks again where it has to.
- Try account recovery before anything else
- Rebuild from copies that still exist
- Re-ask customers whose consent is lost
The problem, solved
Locked out with no export, and how StoryProof rebuilds the library
You cannot import a file you do not have. You can import what you rebuild, and re-collect what you cannot.
The quotes are on our site but not in a file
The old widget still shows testimonials on your live pages, but there is no way to download them.
With StoryProof: Copy each one from the live page into a spreadsheet, then upload it as a CSV and match columns to name, text, rating, company, job title and date. Only the name is required.
Some testimonials were videos
Text can be copied from a page, but a video locked in an account is harder to recover.
With StoryProof: Any video file you still have, such as a download, an original sent by the customer or a copy from your editor, can be uploaded directly into StoryProof.
We cannot prove anyone agreed
Whatever consent record the old tool held went with the account. You know the quotes are real but cannot show the permission.
With StoryProof: Imported testimonials stay private until you approve them, so rebuilt quotes can wait while you confirm permission with each customer.
Nothing survives for some customers
A handful of testimonials were never on the site and never emailed to you. They exist only in the locked account.
With StoryProof: Add those customers as contacts and send the collection link. They can write, record a video or leave an audio note, with nothing to install.
The old embed will break eventually
If the account is closed or unpaid, the widget on your site may stop loading without warning.
With StoryProof: Replace it with a StoryProof widget: a div with the widget id and the async embed.js script, pasted where the old code was.
Flip the switch to see how StoryProof handles each one.
Recovery checklist
Work through the recovery
In order. Each group only matters if the one before it did not get everything back.
Your ticks stay in this browser tab. Nothing is sent or stored.
Where each kind of testimonial usually survives
In StoryProof
Rebuild in StoryProof
- 1
Upload the spreadsheet
Upload the CSV and match columns to reviewer name, text, rating, company, job title and date. Only the name is required, so partial rows are fine.
- 2
Upload recovered videos
Add each video file you found and match it to its customer.
- 3
Tag by recovery status
Tag each testimonial recovered, consent pending or confirmed. Imported reviews count toward the same monthly allowance as collected ones, so check yours before a large upload.
- 4
Re-ask and re-collect
Confirm permission with each customer, and send the collection link to those with nothing recovered. Approve testimonials only once confirmed.
- 5
Replace the embed
Paste the StoryProof div and embed.js script where the old widget code sat, page by page.
What happens next: Set the new account up under a shared company address, and give at least two people access, so the next staff change does not lock you out again.
Before you start
What this cannot recover
What this does not cover, and what to check on your side. Better to know now than after launch.
- 01
StoryProof cannot reach the old account
There is no connection to another tool here. Everything comes in through your spreadsheet, your video files or fresh collection.
- 02
Original dates may be lost
If you copy a quote from a live page with no date, you can only enter the date you can verify. Leave it blank rather than guess.
- 03
Imports use your allowance
A rebuilt library counts toward the monthly reviews allowance like collected testimonials. A large one may need spreading over months or a bigger plan.
- 04
Lost consent is not restored by importing
Bringing a quote back into StoryProof does not bring back the permission. Confirm with the customer before it goes live.
FAQ
Questions people ask
Short answers to what usually comes up next.
Can I copy testimonials from my own live website?
Yes, they are your customers’ words and were already published with your knowledge. Because the consent record is gone, confirm with each customer before using them in new places.
Is it worth paying the old vendor just to get an export?
Often, if it restores access long enough to export. Ask their support exactly what reactivation gives you before paying.
What if a customer does not reply to the permission email?
Keep the testimonial unapproved. A quote with no confirmed permission is safer left out than published.
How do I avoid this next time?
Register tools to a shared company email, give two people admin access, and keep your own copy of anything you collect, such as notification emails in a shared folder.
Still have a question? Ask the StoryProof team or book a demo.
Rebuild in an account you will not lose
Import what you recovered, hold it until customers confirm, and re-collect the rest. No credit card needed to start.
Last updated 2026-11-11.